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Tom Fisher Talk
 
Tom Fisher is vice president of IT for Qualcomm and CIO for Qualcomm?s CDMA Technologies Group ? the largest fabless semi-conductor in the world. Tom is responsible for the business and engineering systems that support Qualcomm?s semiconductor and global positioning businesses. In addition to his responsibilities Fisher recently led the establishment of an IT investment fund, carved out of QUALCOMM?s billion dollar corporate venture fund. He is an active participant in defining and enabling Qualcomm?s mobile data strategy working directly with leading hardware, software and application partners as well as IT-related revenue opportunities. Tom is a Limited Partner for TechVentures Capital, a Korean based fund of funds which does some direct investing. He is also Chairman of the IT Investment Committee for Odyssey Venture Partners, an SBIC fund focused on investing and development Israeli technology, in Newport Beach, California.

Prior to joining Qualcomm, Tom was vice president for architecture and technology strategy and acting Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at eBay. His responsibilities tat eBay included redesigning and managing the delivery of the Web site after several massive outages. He was also responsible for establishing the firm?s technology strategy to support the massive scale and shifting business requirements. Tom was responsible for significant business development strategies at eBay including the creating and the establishment of eBay?s Developers Program, eBay Storefronts and managing strategic vendor partnerships.

Prior to eBay, Fisher served as the chief architect and vice president of global architecture, security and vendor management for Gateway Computers. At Gateway, he managed the firm?s major e-commerce initiatives, deployed the company?s financing, ERP, CRM, and SFA applications, and led the technical due diligence for the firm?s venture and strategic activities. In addition, he led Gateway?s IT outsourcing efforts.

Fisher has also worked as a senior executive in technology strategy, business development, and M&A for a variety of software and technology companies, including Exactium, an Israeli start up (sold to IFS and Pivotal Software in 2000), where he was a founding member of the team, Greensoft, an Israeli technology provider in systems management (sold in 2000), Seer Technologies (IPO) and KnowledgeWare (IPO and sold to Sterling Software). Fisher began his career at IBM, where he led the firm?s Vendor Alliances Program for Software. During his tenure at IBM, he helped establish one of the world?s first corporate strategic investment funds. This fund invested $50 million of IBM?s capital and returned $450 million in three years. Investments included KnowledgeWare, Bachman Information Systems, Index Technology and Sapiens International.
 
 
Monday, November 22, 2005
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
University Center Theater
 
 
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